Ippudo, Broadway, Sydney CBD

Guest blogger edition

I'm a bit of a fan of Ippudo, so when I received an invitation to a private blogger only event to try out their new (yet to be opened) restaurant in Central Park, Broadway, I just could not refuse. In true testament to how popular the chain is, when we arrived there at 5 minutes to 6pm, there were random people waiting for them to open. This was despite the restaurant not actually being open to the public yet! So unfortunately when the doors did open, they had to be politely lead away and informed to return on the 2nd of October when they officially open their doors.

The staff lead us to our table and we sat down and observed the restaurant. A pretty big place overall with one wall covered with hanging spoons as a decorative piece.

As the first patrons of the store, everything was brand spanking new. The tables, the cutlery, the seats and the entire condiment set on the table had never been used before!

Homemade lemon lime and bitters - refreshing but unspectacular. But of course, we don't go to Ippudo to enjoy their drinks...

The menu at the Central Park restaurant is slightly different to the one at Westfields. There are a few items that are available at one and not the other. Given the close proximity to the nearby University, one of the exclusive menu items here is the Shiromaru base ramen. An 'entry level' ramen for those budget conscious university students after a delicious hit of ramen. Starting at a mere $10, you can also add extra toppings to the ramen at a price.

For our entree, we chose the Japanese fish and chips. This entree dish is also exclusive to the Central Park restaurant and is a their interpretation of the classic fish and chips dish. Thick cut chips, Tempura onsen tamago egg and Tempura salmon. The best part of this dish was the salmon. light and crunchy tempura coating around a soft flaky piece of salmon. So delicious. The tamago egg was also wonderfully delicate and soft in the middle but nice and crunchy on the outside. A great combination of textures. The chips were a tad disappointing, as they did not have that crunchiness that I love with chips.

The fish and chips came with 2 sauces, a red kind of ketchupy semi spicy one, and a white mayo type one. Both worked well with the chips and the salmon.

The moist flaky insides of the salmon, mmmmm

What's unique about ordering at Ippudo compared to other ramen joints, is that when you order ramen at Ippudo, they give you the choice of how you like your ramen cooked. I usually select al- dente but if you like your noodles softer than normal, you can ask for this.

Main #1 - Miso Tonkotsu Special - Ippudo's signature pork broth infused with red miso. Topped with pork belly chashu, cabbage, spring onion, bamboo shoots, corn and bean sprouts. The 'special' in the name refers to the dish on the right. An additional plate loaded with extra toppings - like literally enough for another small meal. It had - flavoured egg, simmered pork belly, roasted seaweed, black mushrooms, bamboo shoots and spring onions. I recommended you only get this if you have a big big appetite!

Main #2 Akamaru special - reminds me of the dog in the anime 'Naruto', however in this context, it refers to Ippudo's miso paste ramen. This is their original tonkotsu broth enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil. Served with thing noodles, pork belly, black mushrooms and shallots. Again, the difference with the 'special' version is the extra side dish loaded with additional toppings.

kogepanman

We have been writing about food in Sydney since 2009. No place is too far or too wide for us to travel to visit. We always give an honest opinion and love to hear your comments too. Here's to an ever-growing society of foodies!